PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Time to act on mobile phone use while driving, say experts

They're responsible for a quarter of crashes in the US

2014-02-05
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Emma Dickinson
44-073-836-529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Time to act on mobile phone use while driving, say experts They're responsible for a quarter of crashes in the US Charles and Barry Pless argue that, with a quarter of crashes in the United States now attributed to mobile phone use, "we can't wait for perfect evidence before acting.

Although there is still some uncertainty about the association between mobile phone use and risk of crashes, given the proliferation of mobile phones, the prevalence of distracted driving is undoubtedly increasing, they write.

Texting is the riskiest activity because the distraction is cognitive and visual, they explain. Handheld phone use (particularly when making or receiving calls) comes next, and hands-free use is probably the least dangerous.

Convincing causal associations are notoriously difficult to determine, particularly in this area, they say. However, physicians and policy makers "must often make decisions and act before they have solid proof."

They therefore decided to proceed by taking as "given" that the risk was "causal, substantial, and likely to grow unless more successful preventive measures are introduced."

They discuss possible interventions, such as education, legislation and technology, but point out that evidence supporting the effectiveness of education and legislation is inconsistent.

They believe the most promising solution to distracted driving caused by the mobile phone may be more technology. For example, software that prevents texting while driving or a signal jamming key that prevents mobile phone reception when the ignition is engaged.

"Ultimately, a technical solution is needed that blocks texting and conversations by drivers while permitting passengers to use their phones as they wish," they write. Until nudging works fully, they suggest regulatory bodies "must be instructed to incorporate the best available technological preventive measures into all new mobile phones and cars."

They recall the long delay between the first scientific evidence and the public's recognition that drunk driving is unacceptable, and say "we cannot accept such a long process in the case of distracted driving."

Studies must continue, but ... "we cannot always wait for perfect evidence to act. Doing nothing, or avoiding the tough options, can have disastrous consequences," they conclude.

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Largest evolutionary study of sponges sheds new light on animal evolution

2014-02-05
Sponges are an important animal for marine and freshwater ecology and represent a rich animal diversity ...

Orca's survival during the Ice Age

2014-02-05
In the ocean, the killer whale rules as a top predator, feeding on everything from seals to sharks. Being at the apex of the food chain, ...

How your memory rewrites the past

2014-02-05
CHICAGO --- Your memory is a wily time traveler, plucking fragments of the present and inserting them into the past, reports a new Northwestern Medicine® ...

Mediterranean diet linked with lower risk of heart disease among young US workers

2014-02-05
Boston, MA -- Among a large group of Midwestern firefighters, greater adherence to Mediterranean-style diet was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease ...

Heart disease warning at age 18

2014-02-05
CHICAGO – –Elevated blood pressure as young as age 18 is a warning sign of cardiovascular disease developing later in life and the time ...

MRIs help predict which atrial fibrillation patients will benefit from catheter ablation

2014-02-05
MAYWOOD, Il. – A new type of contrast MRI can predict which heart patients with atrial fibrillation are most likely to benefit from ...

Sucker-footed fossils broaden the bat map

2014-02-05
DURHAM, N.C. -- Today, Madagascar sucker-footed bats live nowhere outside their island home, but new research shows that hasn't always been the case. The ...

New drug treatment reduces chronic pain following shingles

2014-02-05
A new drug treatment has been found to be effective against chronic pain caused by nerve damage, also known as neuropathic pain, in patients who have had shingles. The researchers hope that the drug ...

'Severe reduction' in killer whale numbers during last Ice Age

2014-02-05
Whole genome sequencing has revealed a global fall in the numbers of killer whales during the last Ice Age, at a time when ocean productivity may have been widely reduced, according to researchers ...

How states can encourage web-based health care in hospitals

2014-02-05
ANN ARBOR—In the first national look at how broadly web-based technologies are being used to provide health care, a University of Michigan researcher has found that 42 percent of U.S. hospitals use some ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

Study identifies how malaria can lead to childhood cancer

An earth-abundant mineral for sustainable spintronics

[Press-News.org] Time to act on mobile phone use while driving, say experts
They're responsible for a quarter of crashes in the US